hello, i need help in picking a microscope. I want to be able to see ribosomes, ER and other organelles in action. i dodnt want a microscope that just shoes a membrane of a cell or just structure. something like this http://youtube.com/watch?v=WAjeMV4Lkmw&feature=related

You will not be able to see ribosomes or ER without an electron microscope as the resolution power of the light microscope is too low. You will be able to get images such as the amoeba you saw on the clip with a x1000 light microscope. With oil immersion, you can get the finest detail.

Light microscopes hit a resolution limit from the nature of the light itself that would hide most organelles. However, some computer manipulation originally used in satellite systems can increase the resolution to some extent.

But another problem is, how would you see the organelles? In preserved cells, stains can make different organelles show up, but there are very few stains that aren't toxic to living cells. And even if you found a non-toxic stain for your organelles, the stain would have to chemically bond to the organelle, and how could you be sure that the organelles are then behaving normally?

if you want to see individual ribosomes you will need an electron microscope and nothing short of that. But you will be able to see other organelles with a florescence microscope for example(each organelle will produce an individual color when hit with a certain wavelength). with phase contrast microscopy you will be able to see individual nuclei(after you remove them from the cells).

"As a biologist, I firmly believe that when you're dead, you're dead. Except for what you live behind in history. That's the only afterlife" - J. Craig Venter

The use of fluorescence requires both specific probes and a specific microscope (my lab has this one but it is on the expensive side...) with external light box and specific filter. All of that ends up very expensive.

You can see nuclei and some structure without staining using differential interference contrast or DIC (see here) but you will need a specific condenser. I suspect that this film used that technique, but I am no specialist.

Patrick

Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without
any proof. (Ashley Montague)

There are many ways of which one can observe some specific organelles utilizing a light microscope. Phase contast is one and DIC another and of course there is staining and that can be quite complicated at times depending on the subject and stains being employed for specific cell structure. Mostly I observe protozoa and I have found circular oblique lighting to be a very cheap and effective means of observing a good many of the organelles contained in these tiny animals. Poor mans DIC, I refer to it or COL. More can be found out about it if you Google it or go to the website photomacrography.net and look under the microscope and technical forums. This site is a goldmine of information concerning microscopy and extreme close in photography. If you have not a microscope just yet and can afford a relatively good one, might I suggest the Zeiss Axiostar with CP (clinical plan achromats) or A-Plan objectives with a good 100X oil immersion objective. A bit of advice though, though it is quite cheaper than the Axiostar Plus, which at the time I purchased my Axiostar it was many times cheaper than today, stay away from the Zeiss Primostar, Chinese manufactured with extremely poor quality control. Probably full of lead too...

Ken Ramos, Aviation Ordnanceman USN Ret.
Western North Carolina
"If you see an explosives handler running...try to keep up with him!"
Ken's Nature Study

Does anyone feel like giving me some tips? I'd be really appreciative for some real advice so I don't end up wasting any money. My budget is £400 or under - but I'm really hoping I can get a good one with this amount!